Holly Moore

I had trouble with Jone's. I've dined/eaten at a fair number of southern cooking institutions. Jones just doesn't cut it. No soul. Struck me the same as one of those glitzy, neon and stainless steel filled diners built in 2003 to come off as an 1950 diner. Food may be good, but just not the same.

Though certainly a very generous offer, I must decline. Without question, I am most qualified to appoint myself. Certainly more qualified than some newspaper editor whose diet is mostly limited to lukewarm coffee, deli delivery, and gin drenched olives.

Having worked both sides of the counter I cringe whenever some zoned out counter person reaches down a puts a hand full of ketchup packets in the bag. Seems to happen a lot at White Castle. Then again I could always whip up a batch of Horn and Hardart Tomato soup. I'm think it was ketchup bottles back then rather than packets. Some hot water from the tea urn and some splats of ketchup produced a tolerable soup that helped those down on their luck get through a cold New York evening.

Had a meatball parmesan from Sarcone's Deli a couple of days ago. Excellent. Then again, I'd be just as happy skipping the meatballs and having Sarcone's bread aswim in their gravy.

Works for one guy who likes a good steak sandwich for lunch the next day or two, too.

First, from Wikapedia, I'm of the gray as in drab or gloomy school when it comes to steak. Usually means the steak has been sliced too thin to cook a proper rare or medium rare with brown or charred edges. Also could be cooked at too low a temperature, stewing as much as grilling. I agree that charred should not be taken to mean burned to a crisp. Rather just to the point that the charring starts to occur. Charred beef has a distinct flavor that compliments the inside of the steak. Done right, or at least to my taste, a properly charred steak is not "black and blue." Rather brown with a bit of char on the outside, and somewhere between rare and medium rare inside. That's more "Pittsburgh" to me than black on the outside and raw on the inside.

Perhaps it is my mutated DNA. As much as I enjoy a steak as Steven described (though Maillarding has all the appetite appeal of denaturing one's protein), the caveman left within me also ravishes a classic Pittsburgh steak - the mingling flavors and sensations of rare meat, bloody fatty juice, and charcoaled crust. Having long ago acquired a restaurant salamander atop my Garland, such savage treatment of a thick ribeye is within my grasp.

On the other hand I buy about a dozen Holy Abby fruitcakes each year as gifts. I'm pretty sure none have been regifted. The one I always save for myself never has. Claxton Fruitcakes from the town of that name in Southern Georgia are awfully good too.

Schnitzel Holstein - breaded veal, topped with anchovy, capers, and a fried egg. With some lemon wedges along side.

Any word on Dooky Chase reopening, or has it already?

One of the highlights of my last trip to Paris was, as boarding the Metro a guy bumped into me and the started apologizing and briskly brushing me off. I felt myself being pushed about and kept assuring the man in front of me it was not a problem. Then the doors started to closed and he ran off. One of his associates sneered, cursed me, and threw a receipt from my pocket - the only thing he had been able to retrieve. Everyone else on the Metro just sat there or stood there watching and saying nothing. Pissed me off that the gang considered me an easy mark. But afterwards, having emerged unpickpocketed, my misaventure has become a fond memory of Paris - and, perhaps, a good lesson for future Metro rides. Food related - I was on my way to lunch.

It's been way too long, but I'm finally getting back to New Orleans. Two goals - 1. To get New Orleans on HollyEats.Com All suggestions welcome. Especially breakfasts/brunch (I hear the Hummingbird Cafe is no more), cajun, creole, fried chicken, and muffalatas. Little know but great spots are ideal, but nothing wrong with tourist spots that do their specialties well. Any worthwhile hot dogs above and beyond Lucky Dog? 2. Fine dining. I'm staying at the Windsor Court. Is the New Orleans Grill a must? Where else. Delmonico's sounds interesting from another thread. Never been to Commander's Palace but intend to this trip. Can anyone get me in the side door at Antoine's or does the fact that I have to ask mean, "No." I lost my raw oyster virginity at Felix's when in New Orleans shooting the first Big Mac commercial ever. Is Felix's still the place? If not, where? The tv guy took us to Bozo's, still any good? Just writing this I know that five days/four nights is not enough, but that's all I have so gotta make it count. Thanks for your input.

I miss Emil's, especially as winter approaches. They did a soul warming chipped beef served either on waffles or pancakes.

My recollection is that "Upstairs" was / is Frank Jr's opportunity to express himself as a chef, separate from the great downstairs fare of Shank's and Evelyn's.

Great sandwiches. Lousy photo credits.

Charlie, As I have said before, this is not about Rick's Steaks or Rick Olivieri. It is about the Reading Terminal Market Board of Directors high-handedly kicking out a long term merchant (any long term merchant) of twenty-five years who has run a good operation, has remained current on rent and who has been a good tenant by obeying the lease and running a solid operation. Even assuming the legalities are all in the board's favor, and that is not entirely clear, the board's actions go against market tradition and threaten every other merchant of good standing. Most leases of longterm, good tenants are renewed unless the owner is taking over the space for other purposes. That is just good, smart business. When that doesn't happen, and especially when the board's reasoning for its actions keeps evolving, it is only natural to suspect the Board's true motivation. As to legal expenses, let the Board and Management answer that question. How much are they spending on attorney and related fees for this landlord-tenant dispute. It is a fair question to ask a Board charged with the fiduciary responsibility of judiciously spending funds. Two simple questions actually. How much and why? OK, a third question, what could the funds be used for if not going to Lawyer Sprague and associates? Rich, you're in the media and surely understand news cycles. If one believes an issue to be important, that horse needs an occasional flailing lest the dear nag be buried and forgotten. I'm still hoping that political and public pressure will build to the point that the parties resolve this before June 2008.

And from the Mission Statement So what is the obligation of a 501C3 not-for-profit corporation to detail its expenditures? Are the Board Meetings public? Is there an annual open meeting? Does anyone on City Council care about the Market Board wasting major funds that could be so much better spent in pursuit of the Market's Mission?

Today's Inquirer reports that Rick's Steaks v. RTM Board is scheduled for June 2, 2008. Rick's Steaks is there til at least then. Two other possibilities. 1. The existing Board could get over itself and end this by simply offering Rick's Steaks a lease to sign or turn down. Is the market really well served by the board pettily letting this fiasco drag on for another eight months? 2. The new mayor could appoint a new board that respects the tradition of the market by treating long term merchants fairly and that realizes there are better ways to spend the market's funds than squandering them on high-priced lawyers and an easily resolved landlord tenant dispute.

Today, in a conversation on butter, it was observed that I had not answered this question. For all who have waited with baited breath... The cheese is great.

As I have said before, at the Farmer's Market in LA, one can order their cheesesteak with sprouts and/or avocado. Copa had a full page ad in yesterday's Inquirer, showing their menu. Among other items "Philly Cheesesteaks." Shame on Bill Curry.

Starbucks Philadelphia lost me as soon as they changed from real espresso machines to automated machines that both are consistently inconsistent and lack the soul of a barista. On the other hand, by opening down the block from La Colombe on 19th they twice benefited me. My company did the new hours sign for La Colombe and La Colombe has expanded their hours to 7 PM, taking all sorts of pressure off my late afternoons.

You are too far away from the mother ship when the menu says "Philadelphia Cheesesteak." You are lost beyond hope when it says "Philadelphia Style Cheesesteak."

Of the final three, Hung was the one who showed true exuberance for his craft. Can't fault him for his reaction to some of the rinky-dink challenges along the way. Given a free hand for the final cook-off, his excitement and pride cast him way above the others. The right chef won.

I'd make them both sub contractors, if anything. Partnerships are notorious for the problems they create. And the divorces are often very messy. Sub lease the space to them under very specific conditions and hours of operation, and, initially at least, under a month to month basis. They pay you rent for the use of your space. They supply their own ingredients. They provide their own insurance. They pay their own employee benefits. You have veto power over menu offerings (must be consistent with your image). Same for pricing and marketing.

Yes, that was the irony. There was no rice.